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Gate to residency opens through jobs-rich pastures

A novel pathway for potential ­migrants to work in rural Australia was opened this week by the federal government.

Skilled migrants Bellmar Deloso from The Philippines and Claudia Klunker from Germany at Alanvale Dairy in Victoria. Picture: Aaron Francis
Skilled migrants Bellmar Deloso from The Philippines and Claudia Klunker from Germany at Alanvale Dairy in Victoria. Picture: Aaron Francis

Dairy owner Garry Morrison would desperately love to find more migrants like Filipino farm manager Bellmar Deloso to work on his property near Warrnambool in western Victoria.

Mr Deloso, 37, his wife and four young children arrived four years ago, sponsored on a 457 visa that has now turned into permanent residency. His rise at Alanvale Dairy has been rapid, and he now manages 900 cows and a team of eight workers.

Finding labour is a problem across southwestern Victoria, where dairy farms, abattoirs, food processing plants and hotels complain of more than 1000 jobs to fill and no locals available, as the ­region’s unemployment rate falls to a record low 3 per cent.

Attracting suitably skilled migrants to ­regional Australia has become almost impossible in the past 18 months. And a federal crackdown on 457 temporary skills shortage visas removed many agricultural occupations from the eligibility list.

It was a change that left Mr Morrison unable to recruit more migrants such as Mr Deloso and German-born dairy manager Claudia Klunker, with backpackers used to fill the gaps.

“We need staff that stay like Bellmar — he’s been a really outstanding success story for us,” Mr Morrison said.

Now there is hope, with a novel pathway for potential ­migrants to work in rural Australia opening this week after the ­announcement by the federal government of a trial based in Warrnambool and Victoria’s southwest of a visa system called the Designated Area Migration Agreement.

It gives employers with vacant positions — such as Mr Morrison or the Australian Lamb abattoir at Colac — the ability to directly recruit migrants from overseas or those who are already in Australia and have at least a year’s experience of farm work. A total of 300 visas will be available for people willing to work in the area.

As long as the new migrants live, work and stay in the southwest region for at least three years — the Warrnambool City Council will oversee the DAMA scheme — and prove good citizens, they are guaranteed a fast-tracked “pathway to Australian residency” within five years.

Local federal Liberal MP and Education Minister Dan Tehan said it became clear earlier this year that the worker shortage was holding back economic growth in the region, at the same time as ­people in Sydney and Melbourne were citing the migrant intake for congestion and overcrowding.

“It’s a good problem for the southwest to have,” he said yesterday. “Wool, sheep and cattle prices are high, agriculture is thriving and every farmer is building new yards, putting in new fences, ­expanding their business or adding that extra room on the house — there are so many jobs and too few people.”

Read related topics:Immigration

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/immigration/gate-to-residency-opens-through-jobsrich-pastures/news-story/a2ba3f9eace3b33b9eb0c4da231e0274